


Draco

by quantize



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, Gen, M/M, Swearing, hints of kiyoyachi and daisuga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-23 14:05:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7466205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantize/pseuds/quantize
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a boundless world inhabited by a kinder humanity and a gentler dragonkind, Iwaizumi pondered on his study trip, juvenile dragons, and one Oikawa Tooru.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Draco

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InspiringNokias (Aureolee)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aureolee/gifts).



> I hope you have as much fun reading this fic as I had writing it! This fic and AU was heavily inspired by the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack, and the steppes of Mongolia. Enjoy!
> 
> Huge, _huge_ thanks to Marge for beta-reading and hand-holding! You are the BEST.

On the steppes, even something as sure as a sunrise was imbued with an enigmatic magic. 

The sight of the sun, emerging over the horizon and illuminating all of creation, was one that never failed to take away Iwaizumi Hajime’s breath. Having lived most of his life in a bustling town where every minute was spent on chasing accomplishments and meeting deadlines, Iwaizumi was beginning to rediscover the beauty in things he had taken for granted, and learning to look at everything in a new light.

He had gotten into the habit of waking up as early as he could, climbing out of the warmth of the tent into the chilly air to await the break of dawn. Sunrise was his favourite time of the day; few people were up at that hour, which allowed him the chance to enjoy the peace and the caress of the wind, laden with the energy of the Kitahara leyline, against his face. Lately, his best friend had taken to joining him on his morning ritual, stifling tired yawns as they sat shoulder to shoulder.

“Quit yawning in my face and go back to sleep,” Iwaizumi would grumble, nudging his sleepy friend in the ribs. “It’s too early for you to be alive.”

“You can’t make me,” Oikawa Tooru would prod him back. “I’m going to watch the sunrise with you every day and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Want to bet?” Iwaizumi would then shove him into the tent. 

Their studies had brought them to the vast plains of Kitahara, miles away from home. Back where they live, it was customary for the brightest apprentices to leave home on the recommendation of their mentors, and pursue in-depth research of a subject of their choice. For as long as Iwaizumi had remembered, it had always been Oikawa’s dream to embark on his own expedition, and explore the world outside the gates of Seijou. So motivated he had been to earn the coveted opportunity that he would spend many late nights poring over ancient astrology texts, going through magic practicals and finishing complicated theses. Iwaizumi had had to intervene on more than a few occasions to make sure he did not overwork himself.

Oikawa was capable of taking care of himself, normally, but he had times when he got carried away.

The chance to further their studies had been presented to them some weeks ago, and in an instant all those nights spent burning the midnight oil was very much worth it. After settling on dragons - more specifically, the rare ice ryu - as their research topic, Iwaizumi and Oikawa set out for Kitahara, where their journey brought them in contact with the Karasuno, a group of nomads who called the steppes of Kitahara home. 

The Karasuno had welcomed them with open arms and a place to stay, and in return they helped out with menial chores as repayment for the nomads’ kindness and hospitality. Never in his wildest dreams did Iwaizumi imagine that he would one day have to hunt down and retrieve lost sheep and goats. 

At least Iwaizumi’s earth magic and Oikawa’s keen sense came in handy for times like those. The shepherds favoured them for their ability to locate lost sheep and goats quickly, and would give them wool and goat milk for their trouble. Oikawa appreciated the wool, and had learnt to make fabric out of it, whereas goat milk had become the new bane of his existence, much to Iwaizumi’s constant amusement. 

Iwaizumi and Oikawa had turned it into a competition to see who could find the lost animals faster. The current tally had Oikawa leading by one sheep, and Iwaizumi was secretly happy when one afternoon, he saw the chance to even the score in a goat stranded on a particularly steep slope. Once they and the shepherd had discovered that the goat had gone missing, Iwaizumi had shot Oikawa a knowing smirk. Only after Oikawa had grinned back his acceptance of Iwaizumi’s challenge did they get down to work locating the goat. Iwaizumi had no need for a head start just to beat him.

While Oikawa moved away to better survey his surroundings, Iwaizumi placed his hand on the ground, and focused on finding the goat’s aura. He ignored the swarm of aura from the goats and sheep with the shepherd, and visualised his magic flowing west, past Oikawa and towards a rocky hill. His instincts proved right; the goat was there, perched precariously on a slope. 

“Found it,” Iwaizumi called out, and broke into a run as he passed by Oikawa. Oikawa quirked an eyebrow, apparently having found the goat as well by a second too late. Beaming and shaking his head, he took off after Iwaizumi, and stopped at the base of the hill.

“How did it get all the way up there?” Oikawa murmured, shielding his eyes from the sun as he squinted up at the goat, which appeared to have lost its initial bravado that had propelled it up the hill. 

“Who knows?” Iwaizumi scanned the slope. While he was in no way qualified to judge, the slope seemed sturdy enough for him to climb, and he could not think of any other way to encourage the goat to come down on its own. Besides, if anything happened, camp was a short distance away and Oikawa could go get help quickly. 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Iwaizumi took a secure hold and pushed himself up, scaling the slope.

“Are you really doing this? I can’t save you if you fall,” Oikawa reminded unhelpfully. 

“Don’t move,” Iwaizumi shouted. “Where you’re standing right now is perfect for breaking my fall.”

“You’re _vicious_.”

Grinning, Iwaizumi turned his attention back to the goat and continued climbing. It was turning out far more challenging than he had expected; he had been scaling the rocks for a while now as the sun beat down mercilessly on him, and his bare hands were already sore from having to hold onto the rough rocks. Still, the goat remained out of reach. 

He frowned up at the goat, ignoring the sweat forming on his brow and continuing to climb upwards. Just as he reached it, the goat finally took notice of him.

Turning away from Iwaizumi, the goat bounded down the slope like it never needed his help in the first place. Iwaizumi glared at it as it safely reached the ground. The goat gave Iwaizumi an almost smug glance that was annoyingly reminiscent of Oikawa. Surely goats were incapable of such emotions, but it rubbed him the wrong way nonetheless.

“...bastard.”

Oikawa was gripping his sides and positively _roaring_ with laughter.

“Iwa, you’ve been bested by a goat!”

Iwaizumi had to fight the urge to kick down rocks at him. Grumbling, he began his descent.

“Just so you know,” he yelled at Oikawa, “I’m not finishing the goat milk for you tomorrow.”

Unlike Iwaizumi, Oikawa had never been able to acquire a taste for goat milk, and Iwaizumi took joy in watching Oikawa squirm as he forced down the goat milk. Sure enough, when he looked down again, Oikawa’s face was frozen in a satisfyingly pale-faced, open-mouthed stare of horror.

“I take it all back!”

It was Iwaizumi’s turn to laugh at his expense. Oikawa’s goat milk-induced misery was music to his ears.

* * *

Initially, Iwaizumi had had reservations about staying with the Karasuno. While he himself had looked forward to it as a new experience, he had wondered if Oikawa could cope with their wandering lifestyle. Oikawa came from a fairly affluent family, and had never spent a day outside their hometown, much less two years on the move. 

It had not taken long for Iwaizumi to realise that his worries were unfounded—Oikawa adapted to his new life with barely any problem, gamely chasing sheep with him and effortlessly charming anyone who crossed their paths. He had even struck up friendship with a fair number of the Karasuno, including their host Sugawara, and two history scholastics-in-training, Shimizu Kiyoko and Yachi Hitoka, who had also been taken in by the Karasuno for the duration of their field research. Oikawa had had him beat, Iwaizumi had mused to himself over dinner one evening. How could he have forgotten that Oikawa was a lot tougher and more adaptable than he looked?

Still, Iwaizumi had days when he missed the material comforts of home, and that went doubly for Oikawa, though they both took it in their stride. As Iwaizumi lay in his cot and stared up at the large circular top of their tent, Oikawa was tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable. 

“Can’t sleep?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Mm,” Oikawa merely hummed, and turned to face Iwaizumi. 

“What’s keeping you up?” Under the soft moonlight streaming into the tent, Iwaizumi could make out Oikawa’s eyes, alert and watching.

“I miss my bed,” Oikawa laughed, leaving a lot more unsaid.

“Do you miss home?”

Oikawa flipped onto his back and watched the night sky through the top window. 

“Sometimes,” he admitted. “I often dream of Mother, and I still expect Makki and Mattsun to walk through the door anytime, cracking some silly joke.”

Oikawa must be really homesick to share his thoughts so openly. Iwaizumi opened his mouth to cheer him up, but Oikawa was faster and had cut him off.

“Why? Do _you_ miss home, Iwa?” Iwaizumi did not have to look to picture the teasing smile Oikawa probably had on his face. “You don’t have to worry. I will always be here for you.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. Of course he missed his parents, but with Oikawa around, their research trip had seemed less like a two-year journey away from home, and more like a very extended field trip. He had not missed home as much as he had expected. Not that he was about to let Oikawa know any of this, he would never hear the end of it from him.

Pushing himself off the cot, Iwaizumi padded towards the door. 

“Wait, where are you going? Don’t leave me here all by myself!”

There was a rustling sound behind him, and Iwaizumi knew right away that Oikawa was following him. A slight grin tug at the corner of his lips, and he sat down outside the entrance of the tent, where Oikawa joined him. The stars in the night sky peered down at them, and the only sign of life was the small fire set up by the watchmen, a flickering and unsteady beacon in the distance. 

Lifting his gaze to the sky, Iwaizumi tried to pick out a constellation he had seen from Oikawa’s texts, and ultimately gave up. Oikawa, having had a better eye for these things, pointed out a group of stars.

“There it is, the three stars. Did you know that in the west, they call those three stars the belt of a hunter--”

“Orion,” Iwaizumi recalled from a study session on a balmy summer day, and Oikawa raised an eyebrow at him. Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes back, not too sure what to make of the look of surprise on Oikawa’s face. Oikawa then grinned, and they sunk back into companionable silence as they gazed at the sky.

“Why dragons?” Iwaizumi felt compelled to ask. “Don’t you love astrology? When the professor heard that you picked something completely different, he nearly fainted.”

The professor had later kicked up a quiet and dignified fuss, even roping in Iwaizumi to talk Oikawa round. Oikawa, however, had stood by his choice, refusing to allow anyone to sway him. Iwaizumi had always known that Oikawa possessed a stubborn streak, but had been unprepared for how unyielding Oikawa had proven to be. The professor had been left with little choice but to allow him to proceed with his chosen topic.

“It’s not all that different,” Oikawa clarified as he hugged his knees to his chest. “There’s a theory that says the foundation of astrology as we know it were laid down by pre-Great War dragon civilisations. I want to understand the basics of dragon society first before exploring that theory. Besides,” Iwaizumi caught him gazing back through the corners of his eyes, “you wanted to study dragons, as well, didn’t you?” 

Iwaizumi stared back up at the sky. He ignored the warmth of appreciation spreading within his chest.

“You could have studied stars on your own,” still, while he was thankful that Oikawa had chosen to accompany him, he would much rather Oikawa pursue his own dreams. 

“Did you want me to study stars?” Oikawa faced him.

Iwaizumi did not answer. 

“The stars never looked this bright in town,” he said instead, thinking back on how they had used to climb the highest hill in town, and how he would lie down on the grass while Oikawa worked on his star maps. The same sky he had gazed at back then, pockmarked with a bare handful of stars, was now covered in them as far as the eye could see.

Oikawa nodded his agreement. 

“I’m glad now I didn’t pick astrology as my research topic. I might never have come to this place, and see this beautiful night sky with you otherwise.”

“It’s creepy when you act all sappy,” Iwaizumi muttered. “You can beg or flatter me all you want. I’m not going to drink the goat milk for you.”

“You’re so cruel,” Oikawa pouted. “I meant it with my whole heart.”

Iwaizumi already knew that, of course, and to him, Oikawa’s rare show of sincerity shined brighter than any of the stars that night.

* * *

Not far from the Karasuno’s temporary settlement, there was a number of caves. Iwaizumi and Oikawa often passed by the caves while helping to herd sheep, and when they spotted the unmistakable long, shimmering bodies of adult ice ryu flying in and out of the caves, they knew at once that their chance had arrived.

On a clear morning, they took the plunge into one of the caves, bringing with them their gear, research journals, and supplies kindly given to them by Suga. Outside on the plains, the summer air hovered between just right and too warm. The temperature in the caves dropped to almost wintry conditions, getting colder and colder as they went further inside. It was a good thing they had foreseen this, and were dressed appropriately. 

Iwaizumi led the way, making sure that Oikawa was always a mere couple of steps behind him. While Oikawa had accompanied him on his field research before, Iwaizumi was not about to take any chances with their safety. They hardly talked, clutching their cloaks for warmth and their attention solely focused on traversing the rocky terrain. Once in a while, the low roars and shrill cries of the ryu punctured the silence. Recognizing the cries to be that of juvenile ryu, Iwaizumi’s excitement climbed. 

They trudged on and on until they reached what appeared to be the centre of the cave system. As they emerged cautiously from the passage, sheer amazement gripped hold of Iwaizumi. There were adults and elders resting on elevated spaces, watching over the juveniles as they play-fought and squabbled with one another, and he spotted at least one nest filled with unhatched eggs, guarded by a vigilant adult.

A shaky exhale escaped his lips as a formless mist. These caves were home to at least two families of ryu. 

Behind him, Oikawa ducked as a full-grown ryu flew over their heads. 

“Damn,” was all Iwaizumi could say. Oikawa was grinning, cheeks flushed with excitement, as he moved to his side.

“This confirms the theory that the ice ryu are social creatures, instead of the solitary dragons people make them out to be.” 

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi breathed out, too overwhelmed by the magnificent sight of the dragon colony before him to say much else. 

“And this proves that dragonkind and humanity are not all that different after all. They too understand the importance of bonds,” Oikawa added softly. He placed a hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I see now why you are so taken with them.”

“The ryu are right in front of me,” Iwaizumi croaked. Yet, the last thing he wanted to do was to write his research journal. He would much rather sit down and spend the rest of the day observing the majestic beasts. It was not every day one ran into an entire family of dragons, much less the elusive ice ryu.

Oikawa squeezed his shoulder, and despite the thick layers of clothing he was wearing, Iwaizumi felt the warmth of his touch.

“Let’s just watch them for today. Fieldwork can wait. I very much doubt they’re going to leave anytime soon.” 

It was uncanny how Oikawa always knew what he was thinking, despite not having the ability of clairvoyance. Then again, Iwaizumi would not put it past him to have learned telepathy on his own with a little bit of help from friends, the sneaky bastard. He eagerly took Oikawa’s suggestion anyway, crouching behind a frozen stalagmite as he watched the dragons. While most dragons were unbothered by human presence, there were few records of ice ryu behaviour towards humans, and the thought of making his presence known in front of a parent protecting their eggs was highly unappealing in any case.

Oikawa, on the other hand, had shifted away from him, towards a particularly bold juvenile ryu who had come to investigate the human visitors. He squatted some distance away—a dragon was far less likely to become aggressive towards targets that looked smaller than itself.

“Hey, don’t get too close,” Iwaizumi reminded in a whisper. He trusted Oikawa not to do stupid things - like trying to touch the ryu; Oikawa respected the dragons too much to do that - but sometimes, he would get caught up in the moment.

The ryu crawled towards Oikawa, its clawed feet scratching against the ground. It now stood so close that Iwaizumi had a perfect view of its proud profile, and its stern, dark blue eyes. Reflecting the little sunlight that filtered into the cave, its black scales had a navy sheen. Iwaizumi could not help the grin, full of child-like wonder, spreading across his face. The ryu was beyond stunning, truly one of the most beautiful dragons he had had the privilege of getting up close with.

Oikawa’s radiant smile matched his own.

“Look at this ryu, Iwa. It’s not even scared of us. It makes me think of us, fearless and free.”

Iwaizumi nodded in full agreement. The ryu continued watching them until it grew bored, and then took flight back towards its family. In a few years, the ryu would have matured enough to leave the nest and take to the sprawling skies outside, partaking in everything the world had to offer, much like Iwaizumi and Oikawa were relishing in the sights and sounds of Kitahara.

Iwaizumi often pondered where his and Oikawa’s roads would lead them. He had already made plans, intending to delve into full-time dragon study, and maybe learn dragontongue and become one of the emissaries who had made it their goal to re-establish human-dragon relations. 

As for Oikawa, he pictured him commencing research into the link between modern astrology and past dragon civilisations. Being the hands-on type, he would definitely tag along with archaeologists, undertaking expeditions to far-flung locations and unearthing ruins. Joining Oikawa, watching him hard at work on a subject he loved, and unveiling long-lost secrets of ancient dragons together...well, what the heck, that sounded just as fun. 

The good thing about plans was that they were flexible. Joining the emissaries would have to wait, but there was nothing keeping Iwaizumi from studying dragons and their language while accompanying Oikawa. Oikawa had put his astrology research on hold so they could come here, and Iwaizumi could not think of a better way to return the favour. 

Iwaizumi rested a hand on Oikawa’s shoulder, prompting him to turn around. The smile on Oikawa’s face told him that there was no need for words.

_Thanks for sharing this once-in-a-lifetime experience with me. Here’s to many more._

* * *

Over the next few days, they made several trips to the caves, and Iwaizumi finally pushed himself to start on his research journal, rather than waste precious time admiring the ryu. They showed up at the nest so often that the ryu had taken notice of their presence, with many juveniles and some adults approaching them out of pure curiosity. Iwaizumi and Oikawa were careful to keep their respectful distance from the ryu, especially their nests, and the ryu were happy to leave them to their devices.

Iwaizumi could scarcely believe how smoothly their research had been going so far. Every evening, they would return back to camp with more and more valuable data, and it was not long before he had filled the formerly clean pages of his journal to the brim with observations and his own reflections. He would often stay up just to pore through his journal, making edits and basking in the glow of fond memories of the ryu. 

“I’m bringing an extra journal today,” he had informed Oikawa earlier that morning. 

Oikawa had tilted his head at him, and Iwaizumi had braced himself upon seeing the sly smile on his face.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to bring more, and then I realised that not even a thousand journals can contain your immeasurable love for the ryu.”

Oikawa had earned a hard whack to the back of his head for his awful joke, after which they had then set off for the caves in high spirits. It had been a morning like any other.

The rest of their day had proceeded swimmingly so far, and not even Oikawa’s light-hearted teasing could distract Iwaizumi as he completed another page in his new journal. Their subject for the day was an elder ice ryu, though it did little else than laze around and sleep. The nests were out-of-bounds and they planned on keeping it that way for the duration of their study; there was no point destroying the trust which they had painstakingly built up with the ryu for that miserable handful of data. 

Unexpectedly, their first setback took the form of a large adult which had decided to park itself in front of their usual exit for an after-dinner nap. Iwaizumi craned his neck, but his hopes were dashed—there was no a way to get to their exit without having to climb over the ryu. He cast his gaze to the bits of the evening sky visible from the top of the cave. It was dark out, and it seemed unlikely for the ryu to wake up and get moving anytime soon. 

“What if we leave through one of those other passages?” Oikawa suggested, gesturing towards the other routes. 

“Can you tell which ones lead outside?” Iwaizumi asked. He had seen the ryu entering through various caves before, so he was confident they would find their way out. Much as he liked spending time with the ryu, he was not so big on setting up camp in their territory.

Oikawa pointed out two passages.

“I’ve seen the ryu flying in and out of these two,” he then pointed at an opening on the far end. “And I can feel the wind blowing in Kitahara’s magic from that one.”

“Let’s go that way then,” Iwaizumi hauled his haversack onto his back and started walking. The route was much shorter than their usual way out, and as the magic of Kitahara’s leyline, undiluted by the ryu’s overwhelming presence, pulsed strongly beneath his feet, he knew straightaway he had been right to put his trust in Oikawa’s great sense. Surfacing from the cave, he gave his unfamiliar surroundings a cursory glance. 

“We’ve come out the other end,” Oikawa observed as he emerged behind Iwaizumi. “Shall we set up camp here for tonight?”

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi conceded. It was better to settle down than try to find their way back to the Karasuno’s camp in the dark when they were exhausted from a long day. They pitched their tent and started a small campfire, thankful that their thick clothing had come in handy for Kitahara’s chilly night temperature. While Iwaizumi contemplated a distress signal Suga had given to him, Oikawa had marked out a few protection sigils on the ground.

“I picked them up from the children, but I didn’t expect we’d find a use for them this soon,” Oikawa beamed cheerfully as he drew a sigil in front of Iwaizumi’s feet. “This one says ‘silly Iwa, glaring at the signal like it killed your mother is not going to make it light itself up’.”

Iwaizumi snorted a laugh and elbowed him. They were miles away from the Karasuno camp, and yet Oikawa remained so calm and unruffled he was even in the mood for dumb jokes.

“Back off before I tie you to the signal and send you flying with it,” Iwaizumi warned, still grinning. 

Squatting down, Iwaizumi placed his hand on the ground. It was times like these that made him wish he had telepathy so he could mentally poke Suga and ask him to retrieve them, but that did not mean his earth-based abilities could not accomplish the same purpose. He looked past the ryu’s magic which radiated from the caves in overpowering waves, and reached over the dry pasture where they herded sheep in the day, towards the Karasuno’s camp. The Karasuno’s aura was faint, mostly overriden by the ryu’s magical presence, but it was undeniably there, within the effective range of the signal. 

He lit the signal, and backtracked towards Oikawa, watching it launch into the sky with a high-pitched hiss and a blinding flash. Even if the Karasuno had retired for the night, he could at least count on one of the watchmen to take notice, though their rescuers would only set out for them at dawn. 

“Nothing we can do now except wait till morning,” Oikawa murmured as he sat down, the campfire casting shadows on his face.

Fatigue was starting to catch up with Iwaizumi too, and he plopped down beside Oikawa, watching the flames dance and crackle.

“Do you remember that one time we locked ourselves in a storage shed?” Oikawa spoke up, drawing Iwaizumi’s attention. “We were playing hide and seek, and Yahaba was supposed to find us.”

“What got you thinking about that?” he asked. 

“Back then, we sat together just like this, and waited for people to rescue us,” Oikawa reminisced with a soft laugh.

Iwaizumi’s lips curved into a nostalgic smile. Eager to outlast the other children, he and Oikawa had snuck into the old shed near Mattsun’s house. Their plan had worked a little too perfectly, and when they had tried to leave their hiding place, they had discovered to their horror that the door had locked itself. 

“You were yelling so loudly I was sure you were going to bring down the roof,” Oikawa grinned.

Iwaizumi recalled having shouted himself hoarse, hoping fervently that someone would hear him. In the end, their freedom had been all thanks to Kindaichi who had the good sense to inform their parents.

“You were way too calm,” Iwaizumi protested. “I thought for sure you were going to cry, but you didn’t.”

Oikawa propped his chin with a hand and focused on Iwaizumi. The gentle smile on his face was one reserved only for those closest to him.

“I wasn’t scared then because you were there, and I’m not worried now because you’re here.”

Iwaizumi found himself returning the smile. He poked the burning firewood with a branch. 

“Go to sleep,” he said. “I’ll keep watch.”

“And give up on the chance to torture you with embarrassing childhood memories? I don’t think so,” Oikawa’s grin was disarming and guileless.

Iwaizumi laughed with a low groan. 

“Go the hell to sleep. I’ll kick you out of the tent when it’s your turn.”

“The protection will hold,” Oikawa insisted. “You don’t have to worry as long as I’m here.”

Iwaizumi had no doubt that the protection would ensure they did not wake up to a ryu wrecking their tent, but honestly, Oikawa could learn to put a bit more trust in him.

“I know, but someone has to watch out for the ryu. Are you that eager to take the first watch?”

“You’re just scared that I’ll dig up all the embarrassing things you’d rather forget.”

“All right, first shift’s yours,” Iwaizumi stood up.

“What--” Oikawa gasped, his mouth dropping open. “You’ll leave me out here in the cold on my own? You’re awful!”

Iwaizumi folded his arms and stared down at him, keeping a straight face in spite of his growing mirth. 

“Do you want to sleep or keep watch? Make up your mind.”

Oikawa rubbed his chin, hemming and hawing and making a big show of scrutinizing his choices. Iwaizumi’s earlier amusement was starting to cross over to impatience when he finally spoke. Oikawa smiled as if a great idea had just popped up in his head.

“You take first shift, and I’ll take a third option and accompany you, so you don’t get lonely.”

“That’s rich, coming from someone who was whining about being left alone just seconds earlier,” Iwaizumi grumbled. Knowing that Oikawa was not about to accept otherwise, he gave up on making Oikawa turn in for the night, and allowed him to stay.

They sat side by side, and whiled away the hours trading stories and memories from their childhood. Oikawa made good on his promise to bring up old incidents that Iwaizumi wished he could bury in the deepest recesses of his mind, like the time when Iwaizumi was seven and had pretended that he was a dragon for two whole weeks, much to the hilarity of his friends and the annoyance of his parents and professors. 

In return, Iwaizumi mentioned that one episode when Oikawa had been convinced that shooting stars were really flying horse carts belonging to people from the stars, dropping in to visit their world. He delighted in watching Oikawa’s lip curl at the charming naivety of his ten-year-old self.

With Oikawa, Iwaizumi never ran out of things to talk about; if they had not just spent the whole day doing fieldwork, they could probably chat all the way till dawn. Oikawa was the first to give in to his exhaustion, his head falling conveniently on Iwaizumi’s shoulder as he dozed off. Iwaizumi chucked some wood into the fire to keep it burning, and turned just slightly to observe Oikawa’s content sleeping face.

“You’re heavy, you know that?” He muttered. 

He corrected himself. He was more than strong enough to carry Oikawa if he needed to rely on him.

Though, as with everything else that had to do with Oikawa, Iwaizumi’s head was quickly filled with second thoughts when his arm fell asleep under Oikawa’s weight.

* * *

One morning, Oikawa had marched into their tent with a sense of purpose, and had announced that they would be joining the history scholastics on their fieldwork. Iwaizumi had been left to wonder when and how Oikawa had become so close to the scholastics that they would willingly let him join in.

“Not today,” Iwaizumi had frowned deeply. “There’re merchants coming to trade later. We promised Suga we’d help, remember?”

Oikawa had beamed, and puffed out his chest, looking very pleased with himself.

“I already took care of that. I told him that we’ll help make saddles tomorrow. He’s fine with us accompanying the scholastics.”

Iwaizumi had been left exasperated. 

“Will it kill you to talk to me first before you make decisions for us?”

In the end, their excursion with the scholastics had gone well enough that they turned it into a regular thing, as much as their busy schedules would allow. Iwaizumi had enjoyed the excursions much more than he thought he would, despite history being one of his weaker subjects, and learnt a lot more about the old civilisations from the scholastics than from his past history lessons. 

Oikawa, possibly preparing for a future of excavating ruins, was especially attentive and interested in their work. Iwaizumi did not dislike this side of him, though he had taken it upon himself to reign in Oikawa’s burgeoning curiosity so he did not overwhelm the scholastics with questions. It also helped that Shimizu and Yachi were great company. They never saw Iwaizumi and Oikawa as distractions, and patiently shared their knowledge every time they were posed questions.

Shimizu and Yachi had been visiting ruins located a fair distance from camp for their study. As the area was reachable only by horseback, two particularly loud-mouthed Karasuno took turns in bringing them there, and looking after the horses as they did their research. Iwaizumi reckoned that the Karasuno guys were only helping them so they could spend time with the cool and aloof Shimizu. Shimizu had an air of quiet confidence around her, and nothing at all, not even a shrilling polecat lunging at them from a dark corner, could faze her. 

Conversely, Yachi was like an open book. All it took was one look at her face to know what she was thinking. She was easily flustered by Oikawa’s playful flirting, and just as easily overwhelmed by his queries about her work. Iwaizumi had to step in so many times to defend her from Oikawa that he and Yachi struck up an easy friendship, and he was pleased to discover that her fascination with pre-Great War history extended to the study of old dragon civilisation as well. While Shimizu preferred exploring ruins and studying artefacts in silence, Yachi was happy to share everything she had learnt about dragon society with her companions as she worked. 

“--there’s evidence which suggests that humans and dragons used to share such a close relationship that some dragon societies learnt to shapeshift into humans as a sign of respect,” Yachi said, and her palpable enthusiasm was mirrored on Iwaizumi’s and Oikawa’s face.

“Amazing,” Oikawa breathed, and his lips curled into an amused smile as a thought occurred to him. “Iwa,” his head swivelled to Iwaizumi. “Could it be that you were actually telling the truth when you said you were a dragon?”

“Shut it,” Iwaizumi growled. Oikawa stuck out his tongue, and Yachi flinched.

“Oikawa,” Shimizu’s voice drew their attention, and Oikawa made his way towards her without a word. She spoke quietly to him, gesturing to her journal, and he watched her intently as she placed a hand on the book, causing it to glow.

“Kiyoko’s showing Oikawa how she does her sketches,” Yachi informed as she flipped her own journal to a page with an incredibly intricate sketch of an artefact. 

“You drew this?” Iwaizumi asked, staring at the sketch in amazement. 

Yachi nodded with a shy laugh.

“When you touch the sketch, it’s supposed to replicate my experience and observations in your mind. Kiyoko’s sketches are way better than mine. Her replications feels so real it’s as though you’re there with her. Maybe I can ask her to show you when we get back to camp.”

“That would be great,” he grinned. So this had been what Oikawa was referring to when he had talked about sketches that allowed one to relive their artists’ experiences. Oikawa had been so excited that Iwaizumi had had trouble keeping up with his rapid-fire chattering; at least now he understood what the fuss had been about, and looked forward to witnessing it for himself.

He turned to watch Oikawa, now putting his complete concentration into drawing a sketch. Oikawa loved learning new things, and it showed in the sharp focus of his eyes. There were few things Iwaizumi liked more than the sight of Oikawa dedicating his full attention to learning a new skill.

“I hope Oikawa hasn’t given you any problems lately,” he glanced back at Yachi.

“He’s been a joy! Kiyoko and I enjoy your company. It’s been a lot of fun having you with us,” Yachi beamed happily. Clasping her hands, she raised her head and made eye contact with him. “I hope it’s all right for me to say this, but you seem close to Oikawa.”

Iwaizumi scratched the back of his head.

“For better or for worse, I’ve been stuck with him my whole life.”

Yachi’s face fell slightly; she had probably mistakenly thought that she had broached a sensitive topic.

“Oh...sorry if it’s not my place to ask, but are you not on good terms with him?”

“That’s not it,” Iwaizumi tried to clarify, and came to the realization that once he started talking about his friendship with Oikawa, it would turn into a story with no ending.

“I feel like punching him most of the time,” Iwaizumi said, hoping his summary was brief enough as a snapshot of their years of friendship. “But he’s got my back, and I’ve got his.”

“Yachi,” Oikawa called out, his voice carrying over the quiet serenity of the ruins. “I hope Iwa’s not scaring you.”

Iwaizumi’s eyebrow twitched. There it was, that side of Oikawa that made him want to punch him.

Yachi blinked, and waved at him.

“We’re good! Iwaizumi’s very helpful, and I’ve learnt so much about dragons from him.”

Oikawa flashed her an overly bright smile.

“Good to hear. I’m often told that Iwa looks as friendly as a territorial dragon, so it’s hard for anyone to get close to him.”

Iwaizumi marched up to him. For times like these, there was only one proper way to react, and that was a hard slap to the back of his head. He grinned as Oikawa whined in indignance and Yachi yelped in shock. Even Shimizu was so bewildered she had stopped whatever she was doing to gawk at them.

Their reactions had Iwaizumi laughing merrily.

“See what I mean about him making me want to punch him?” 

* * *

On the summer solstice, the Karasuno celebrated what was known as the Starfall Dance. In Suga’s words, it was an occasion where they gave thanks to the stars for guiding their path, to the earth for sustaining them, and, most of all, to love for keeping them going. Suga had been adamant that his guests join in the Starfall Dance as well, believing that their chance meeting and friendship was special and worth celebrating. Iwaizumi and Oikawa did not need any convincing to put their research on hold and participate in the preparations which typically started two weeks before the event.

Instead of shepherding and saddle-making and tent repairs, Iwaizumi and Oikawa were now tasked with weaving cloth and making clothes for the event. They sat in a spacious tent belonging to an elder, Ukai, and learned to make fabric infused with the magic of the elements. Ukai, not exactly one for patience, had gone over the steps to make the magical cloth once, and had tossed the yarn to them, expecting them to get started at once. 

Iwaizumi thanked the heavens for Azumane, Suga’s friend, who helped him out whenever he ran into problems. Cloth making had never been Iwaizumi’s forte, and now that he was supposed to instil magic into the cloth, it had become a real struggle. To Azumane’s credit, he was beginning to weave the cloth properly, and had managed to produce his first roll of magical cloth.

Ukai picked up Oikawa’s fabric and perused it.

“You made this on your first try? If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought you’ve been at this for years.”

Oikawa, who had been silently working on making the cloth, laughed and spoke for the first time that afternoon.

“I’m flattered. I had a bit of trouble with the magic infusion at first, but I’m enjoying this a lot.”

Iwaizumi snorted.

“That’s only because you used to help your older sister with making cloth back at home.”

Oikawa’s eyebrows arched upwards, and he turned towards Iwaizumi with a grin that was far too impish for Iwaizumi’s taste.

“Ah...is that jealousy I’m hearing? How unbecoming, Iwa~”

“Keep talking and I’ll stuff this down your throat. How’s that for unbecoming?” Iwaizumi picked up one of Oikawa’s many rolls of fabric for emphasis.

“Please,” panicking, Azumane raised his hands and looked frantically between the two of them. “There’s no need to fight. We can talk this out.”

Ukai tossed his head back with a guffaw, and his sharp laughter reverberated within the tent. 

“What an interesting bunch you lot are. Boy with the spiky hair, don’t worry about making good cloth the first time round. The more you do it, the sooner you’ll get it.”

Ukai made a good point, so Iwaizumi obediently returned to work weaving the cloth. Sometimes he looked over to observe Oikawa infuse magic into his cloth; a part of him envied how Oikawa made it look so easy, while the other part could not help staring at the rare soft smile on Oikawa’s lips.

The cloth making must remind him of his older sister and of home.

Iwaizumi kept his questions to himself, letting Oikawa reminisce about Seijou, and spoke up when Oikawa put away his newly spun fabric.

“Show me how you made yours,” he instructed.

Oikawa beamed at Iwa’s request for help and scooted over to his side. 

“It’s easy. Just watch me,” he reassured, and proceeded to weave the yarn at a breakneck speed, outpacing Azumane and even Ukai. 

“Slow down, will you?” Iwaizumi muttered.

“You don’t have to push yourself to get it right today,” Azumane said, smiling. “It took me a few years to learn how to weave good fabric, too.”

Iwaizumi understood that, but the thought of his cloth not being up to par with Oikawa’s did not sit quite right with him.

“He’s right,” Oikawa agreed, and examined the cloth Iwaizumi had finished making. “Your fabric looks beautiful in any case,” Iwaizumi watched on in astonishment as Oikawa brought it to his cheek, relishing the feel of the fire and earth magic coursing within its threads. “The magic in the cloth makes me think of you, but I suppose that’s not surprising. It _is_ cloth brought into this world by your hands, after all.”

“I said teach me, not praise me.”

Ukai had come over to check on them, and Oikawa passed him Iwaizumi’s cloth.

“You can use this, right?” he asked. From the way Oikawa was sitting, back straight and eyes locked with Ukai, Iwaizumi did not think he was going to take no for an answer.

Ukai caressed the cloth with a practised hand. 

“That’s right,” Ukai said as he curled the cloth back into its roll. “The attribute of the fabric depends on its weaver. Just because yours is different from ours doesn’t mean it’s not up to scratch.” He reached over and took one of Oikawa’s cloth, placing it side by side with Iwaizumi’s.

“Besides,” Ukai grinned. “You and your friend’s cloth look like they’ll make an incredible outfit for the Stargazer. I don’t often come across fabric that go together as well as yours do.”

Expecting some silly quip from Oikawa, Iwaizumi’s gaze flicked towards him, and instead found him beaming the widest and proudest smile he had ever seen. 

“Weaving is a craft of connections. On its own, a thread has limited uses, but once it is woven together with many other threads, it can become a part of a garment for someone you love, or a quilt for your child, or a carpet for your house,” Ukai returned Oikawa’s cloth, seeming pleased as punch with their work. “You learn your place in the world through your connections with other people, and some ties will run deeper than others. If you’re lucky enough to be connected deeply with someone, treasure it.”

Iwaizumi was certain that Ukai was referring to him and Oikawa. He said nothing, and instead nodded with a smile, filled with unspoken gratitude towards Oikawa.

Had he looked at Oikawa, he would have seen that Oikawa, too, had the very same smile on his face.

* * *

Iwaizumi and Oikawa later relinquished their weaving duties to the other Karasuno, and joined Suga, Shimizu and Yachi in making new clothes out of the cloth. The Starfall Dance was a time for new beginnings, and donning new clothes signified leaving behind old regrets and worries and looking forward with a new outlook. 

Taking a tunic from Suga, Iwaizumi instantly recognized the fire and earth magic the tunic emitted, and was pleasantly surprised to see that his cloth had been deemed fit for making the new clothes. 

Suga laughed good-naturedly at the astonishment reflected on Iwaizumi’s face, and showed him rolls of his and Oikawa’s hard work.

“I couldn’t pass on the chance to use these. You’ll see, I’ll turn them into the most beautiful costume anyone has ever seen for the Stargazer.”

Suga’s face shone with anticipation. Once he had briefed his companions on what they needed to do, he lay out his tools before him, sat down and eagerly started patterning the Stargazer’s outfit. From the confident yet conscientious way Suga marked out the pattern on the fabric, Iwaizumi deduced that he already had had a firm concept on how the outfit was going to look, and was pleased to finally see it take form.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Oikawa said as he pinned trimmings to the edges of an embroidered garment. “Who’s the Stargazer?”

Suga met Oikawa’s curious gaze with a smile.

“The Stargazer is one of our deities. Legend has it that the Stargazer was once an official of the heavenly courts, and descended to earth in search of fallen stars. To cut a long story short, the Stargazer found the fallen stars and returned them to the heavens, but chose to stay here in Kitahara. It is thanks to the Stargazer’s blessing that we have been able to live here peacefully for so long.”

Shimizu and Yachi had put down the garments to listen to Suga. Oikawa hummed in interest.

“So the Starfall Dance is a celebration dedicated to the Stargazer? What about the outfit you’re making?”

“Right,” Suga answered as he resumed marking out the pattern on a fabric. “Every year, we pick someone to act the part of the Stargazer and have them perform a ritual dance for the deities. Sawamura is going to be the Stargazer this year, and the outfit is for him.”

“I see,” Oikawa beamed in enlightenment. “ _Your partner_ is going to be performing. No wonder you’re so excited about making the outfit.”

Iwaizumi could care less if Suga was making clothes for his partner or a family member, though he wished that Oikawa would leave some privacy for others sometimes.

Suga seemed unperturbed, at least. The radiance of his smile even rivalled that of Oikawa’s. 

“Speaking of, have you found _your partners_ for the Starfall Dance?” 

“Partners?” Yachi echoed, eyes wide.

“Once the Stargazer finishes his dance, it’ll be our turn to dance,” Suga grinned at his companions. “You will be joining us, won’t you?”

“You’re not exactly giving us a choice, are you?” Oikawa raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“The more, the merrier,” Suga said, and raised his gaze to the tent canopy, imagining the sky beyond it. “There’ll be a bonfire that night. With the stars above you and the heat of the bonfire on your skin, you dance with your partner and friends, and around you, people are having the time of their lives. You see couples, young and old, falling in love with each other all over again. You see grandparents dancing with their grandchildren who have only started to learn to walk. And for that one night, you know that all is well in the world.” 

Suga’s account conjured images of the Karasuno, dancing and singing merrily, their aura flaring bright like the bonfire, in Iwaizumi’s head. On his left, Yachi had clasped her hands, enthralled by the mental image. 

Suga looked back down at them again, pleased to see that they had dedicated their full attention to him. 

“I may not be as well-travelled as you but I daresay you will be hard pressed to find a more wondrous event elsewhere. In fact, we typically see a lot of weddings after the Starfall Dance.”

Yachi leaned in, tilting her head.

“Why’s that…?”

“I suppose you could say it’s the magic of the Starfall Dance,” he grinned at her. “But first and foremost, the Starfall Dance is an occasion for us to give thanks. I think it’d be nice to use this chance to reaffirm your bonds with people, and express your gratitude to someone you normally wouldn’t think to say thanks to, don’t you agree?”

At that instant, Iwaizumi swore he saw Yachi’s gaze flickered towards Shimizu, though Yachi‘s attention had shifted back to Suga when he blinked. He glanced at Oikawa out of the corner of his eye.

Surely Oikawa had no need for thanks—if anything, he should be the one thanking Iwaizumi for having to put up with him, Iwaizumi mused dryly. Still, the thought of asking Oikawa to the dance continued to stay at the forefront of Iwaizumi’s mind as they returned to working on the garments. 

He dithered and wavered, and finally decided that it would not hurt to ask, besides all the teasing and dumb comments he would no doubt be subjected to afterwards. Making a promise to himself to talk to Oikawa later, he turned his attention back to the task on hand, and only then realized that he had been so distracted he had messed up the stitching. 

At the end of the day, Suga had made impressive progress on the Stargazer’s outfit, while his companions were still left with a fair number of tunics to style.

“Let’s continue tomorrow,” he proposed, rubbing his tired eyes. Eager for dinner, they latched onto his suggestion and made short work of packing up. 

Dinner was lively. Iwaizumi and Oikawa usually ate dinner with Suga and his family, and that night was no exception. Suga had his hands full dealing with his relatives’ endless questions about the outfit he was making for the Stargazer, and Oikawa joined in the chat, whetting their appetites with tantalising tidbits about Suga’s work. Iwaizumi contented himself in watching them, and was left in peace to wonder how he should approach the topic of the Starfall Dance with Oikawa. 

The answer was simple. He had never been one for excessive gestures and pretty words, so once dinner was done, and as he and Oikawa helped to clear up the table, he went straight to the point.

“Want to go to the Starfall Dance together?”

Oikawa nearly dropped the plates with an excessively horrified gasp.

“You beat me to it! I was going to ask you--”

“Oh, were you?”

“--but first I wanted to keep you waiting and waiting until the very last day--”

“You would.”

“--and then I’ll descend like the Stargazer from the skies and rescue you from your solitude--”

“Lucky me for thinking to ask you first,” Iwaizumi snorted.

“--but you had to go and foil my plans!” Oikawa exclaimed. Iwaizumi was not fooled at all by the look of pain and disappointment on Oikawa’s face, and soon enough, his pitiful expression had melted away into a cheerful smile. “But of course I’ll go with you! To think that you would ask me first...I’m going to write home and tell everyone that you invited me to a dance.”

Oikawa had a spring in his step as he brought the plates away to be washed. Iwaizumi had to walk briskly to keep up with him. 

“It’s just a dance,” Iwaizumi said. “There’s no need to go telling the whole town about it.”

“Oh, but I will. Expect to hear from your parents and Makki and Mattsun and everyone else very soon, Iwa.”

“This is your last warning,” Iwaizumi growled, but to be honest with himself, he did not mind it as much as he thought.

And to be honest with himself, Oikawa saying yes had more than made his day.

* * *

In the bustle of preparations, the two weeks flew by in a flash and Iwaizumi woke up one morning to the scent of cooked meat wafting into their tent. 

“Finally awake?” Oikawa was already up and dressed. He passed a set of the Karasuno’s traditional garb to Iwaizumi. “Suga dropped by earlier. He said this is for tonight’s bonfire.”

“Bonfire?” Iwaizumi repeated, and then remembered that the bonfire was the high point of the Starfall Dance. He jumped out of bed at once. “How long did I sleep in?”

“Not long,” Oikawa reassured with a grin. “But you better hurry before breakfast is gone.”

The mood in the camp was one of overt jubilance as the Karasuno, young and old, indulged in festivities. An altar had been set up in the centre, the tables groaning under the weight of sumptuous food offerings. Iwaizumi watched on as people finished arranging the plates of offerings on the table, and joined in when a few men began erecting flags along the tables, the banners bearing sigils symbolizing their prayers for peace and prosperity.

Soaking in the celebratory atmosphere, Iwaizumi was reminded very much of the Spring Harvest Festival back at home. As a boy, he had looked forward to the most important day in Seijou’s calendar, eagerly anticipating the town-wide carnival and the feast at Oikawa’s home. The Karasuno kids, dressed in their finest, ran circles around him and Oikawa, and he caught a glimpse of his younger self in them, chasing Oikawa and their friends down the stairs in Oikawa’s sprawling home.

As the sun set and evening creeped upon them, Iwaizumi returned with Oikawa to the tent to change into the clothes given to them by Suga. The clothes fitted perfectly. Putting them on, Iwaizumi felt a gentle magic course through his veins, filling him with warmth and serenity. He noted to his delight that his tunic was white with turquoise details, the same colours as Seijou’s flag. 

He glanced over at Oikawa, whose tunic matched his own.

“Not bad,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

“I think you meant, ‘looking good’,” Oikawa corrected proudly, and stepped out of the tent with Iwaizumi following behind him.

The heat hit Iwaizumi and he had to shield his eyes, and for a fleeting moment, he was certain that the sun was back up. Once his eyes adjusted, he found himself staring straight at a towering bonfire. The altar had been dismantled and the flags and tables removed to make way for the highlight of the event. 

People were gathering around the bonfire, chattering excitedly among themselves and awaiting the spectacle that was the dance of the Stargazer. There was still time to go, but it seemed that most of the Karasuno had come early to grab the best viewing spots.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa found Suga, sitting on a grass mat with Shimizu and Yachi. Suga beckoned to them, and they sat down with him. 

“They fit you,” Suga complimented, admiring their clothes. 

“Why, thank you,” Oikawa said graciously, and gave Suga the once-over. “Black and orange? I was sure you would have picked brighter colours.”

“Family colours,” Suga explained, grinning. He looked away from them, and as Iwaizumi followed his gaze, he found Suga’s relatives sitting some distance away, clad in the same colours and waving joyfully at them. 

As they waited, they talked among themselves and watched people yell across the bonfire at friends and relatives. Azumane, appearing far more imposing than usual in his traditional tunic, joined them shortly, as did the two horsemen guides who regularly accompanied Shimizu and Yachi to the ruins and were mainly interested in talking to them. Perhaps buoyed by the euphoria of the moment, Shimizu graced them with a rare smile, and the two men and Yachi nearly passed out in pure bliss. 

Then, a band of musicians walked in with their instruments, and a hush descended onto the audience. Taking their seats, the musicians wasted no time in kicking off the performance. There was a swish of fabric, and Sawamura dived in onto the open ground in front of the bonfire. Under the attentive eyes of the Karasuno and their guests, he re-enacted the legend of their deity’s trials and tribulations, and their final journey to Kitahara, through his energetic leaps and slow, smooth movements. 

Sawamura’s costume, white and gold and brown, shimmered in the light of the bonfire like stars against the darkened sky, taking the audience’s breath away. With every movement Sawamura made, Iwaizumi was reminded of shooting stars. As he peered over at his companions, he found Oikawa, the light of the bonfire reflected in his wide eyes, utterly captivated by Sawamura’s dance. Suga’s attention was on Sawamura alone, his smile brimming with pride for his partner, who had been granted a great honour, and for his own work, which was worthy of the Stargazer themselves.

Sawamura capped off the dance with a flourish, eliciting enthusiastic cheers and applause from his audience. Behind him, the bonfire blazed bright, a fitting emblem of the indomitable spirit of all who were present, its tongues of flames reaching towards the stars.

Around Iwaizumi and Oikawa, the Karasuno were getting to their feet, ready to dance the night away and make merry. Suga had pushed himself up, and tapped on Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s shoulders.

“On your feet.”

Iwaizumi waved away his invitation, more than content to watch the Karasuno have the time of their lives. Oikawa remained seated by his side, apparently sharing his sentiments. Azumane, Shimizu and Yachi had already left to join in the celebrations.

“You go ahead,” Iwaizumi jerked his chin towards Sawamura, who had approached them.

With a lopsided grin, Suga pulled them to their feet. 

“I’m not going anywhere until you’re up and moving.”

“What a taskmaster,” Oikawa joked, bouncing on his toes to appease Suga. Iwaizumi grinned in consensus, and Suga cheerfully responded by dragging them into a group folk dance with the other Karasuno. 

The air was thick with exuberance and joyous singing, and as he was surrounded by the smiles of Oikawa and Suga and the people he had come to regard as his second family, Iwaizumi had to admit that Suga had been right about the magic of the Starfall Dance. The group eventually split up, and Iwaizumi and Oikawa took the chance to move further away from the sweltering heat of the bonfire. Oikawa was humming the song from the Stargazer’s dance.

“Suga said that the Starfall Dance is an occasion to give thanks,” he recalled. “What are you thankful for, Iwa?”

A grin tugged at the corner of Iwaizumi’s lips as he groaned.

“What do you think?”

“That’s rude. You can’t answer a question with another question,” Oikawa wagged a finger at him. “Let’s try it again. Who are you thankful for?”

“Don’t make me spell it out for you.”

“You can do it! I believe in you.”

“Give up,” Iwaizumi’s resolve to keep a straight face was being sorely tested as a grin crept onto his face. “Why do you keep asking when you already know the answer?”

“Iwa~” Oikawa said in a singsong voice, and Iwaizumi decided to humour him just this once.

“All right, all right,” he chuckled, sighing. “I give thanks for you being here.” Seeing the ridiculously ecstatic smile on Oikawa’s face, he added. “Even if you’re a real pain in the arse at times.”

“What a coincidence!” Oikawa quipped, unable to wipe the smile off his face and almost ruining his own joke when his voice cracked. “I’m thankful for me too.” 

Iwaizumi jabbed Oikawa in the ribs with his elbow, just hard enough for him to get the point.

“Ow!” Oikawa yelped, dissolving into laughter. “I was joking! I’m thankful that you’re here and I would not have it any other way.”

Sincere words of gratitude from Oikawa were scarce, which made them all that more precious to Iwaizumi. He was grinning so widely his cheeks were hurting. Oikawa might have put him through more trouble and bad jokes than he cared for, but in the end, when all was said and done, Iwaizumi could not be more grateful that Oikawa Tooru was Oikawa Tooru and nobody else.

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from the Draco constellation.
> 
> Hope you've enjoyed this, and thank you for reading!


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